Robert Friedman

Profile

As Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, my efforts are focused on supporting our faculty and staff provide the best possible academic experience for all students at Montclair State University. CHSS is home to traditional liberal arts and applied social science departments, programs, institutes and centers, in which faculty and students work together to answer philosophic questions, interpret historical records, analyze texts from around the world, learn to speak and write in new languages, and understand their cultural experience and that of their colleagues, neighbors and global communities.

The humanities and social sciences are the foundations of knowledge necessary for excelling in all endeavors. The humanities are the keys to truth and beauty, awareness and understanding, the essential core of all our interactions. They are also the basis for the training and experience necessary to thrive in the arenas of politics, business, technological advancement and scientific discovery. Our social science and applied degree programs provide an equal measure of rigor and depth in their disciplines and activities, further preparing students for viable and vibrant careers.

As the university grows in terms of student numbers, my goal is to lead our faculty in the development of new programs of study that make effective use of information technologies, while enhancing existing majors and minors through the same tools and skills. As it grows in terms of faculty, we will be searching for effective scholar-teachers who produce use-inspired research that engages students and the community at large in relevant and substantive ways.

Specialization

My research involves the role of the metaphor in shaping 19th-Century American thought and culture. I also study the ways information technologies affect how new knowledge is generated and distributed.